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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a reminder on August 19, 2016, of immigration relief measures that may help people affected by unforeseen circumstances, such as disasters like the recent severe storms and flooding in Louisiana. USCIS noted that these measures may be available upon request: Change of nonimmigrant status or extension of nonimmigrant… Read More
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that the H-1B workload transfer transition period ends August 31, 2016. On July 1, 2016, as part of a workload transfer from the California and Vermont Service Centers, the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) began accepting certain H-1B and H-1B1 (Chile/Singapore Free Trade) I-129 petitions. The NSC also began… Read More
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a final rule, effective August 29, 2016, that expands the existing provisional waiver process to allow certain individuals who are family members of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) and who are statutorily eligible for immigrant visas to more easily navigate the immigration process. USCIS noted that… Read More
The Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for the month of September 2016 shows much movement in the final action dates for various employment categories. For example, in August, the EB-1 final action date for China was January 1, 2010; in September it is Current. The August EB-2 final action date for China was January 1,… Read More
The Department of Homeland Security has re-designated Syria for temporary protected status (TPS) and extended the existing Syria TPS designation from October 1, 2016, through March 31, 2018. Nationals of Syria, or persons without nationality who last habitually resided in Syria, can register or re-register for TPS in accordance with the notice. For current Syria… Read More
As predicted, the Department of State’s Visa Bulletin for the month of August 2016 reflects a final action date of January 1, 2010, for EB-4 visas for special immigrants from India. This means that starting on August 1, 2016, applicants from India who filed Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant on or… Read More
A national coalition of mayors, Cities for Action, sent an open letter on July 26, 2016, to “the next President of the United States” calling for immigration reform. The letter urges leaders from both the Democratic and Republican parties to commit to supporting immigration reform in the first 100 days of the next presidency, including… Read More
The Department of Justice (DOJ) petitioned the Supreme Court on July 18, 2016, to rehear U.S. v. Texas when a ninth Supreme Court justice is confirmed. The Court’s deadlock in that case blocked the Obama administration’s Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) program, which would have allowed undocumented persons who are the parents of… Read More
By statute, the Ombudsman of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) submits an Annual Report to Congress by June 30 of each year. The report summarizes the most pervasive and serious problems encountered by individuals and employers applying for immigration benefits with USCIS. The Annual Report also reviews past recommendations to improve USCIS programs and… Read More
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Republic of El Salvador recently announced a formal partnership to protect workers from discrimination based on citizenship, immigration status, and national origin. On June 30, 2016, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, and Salvadoran Ambassador Claudia Canjura De Centeno signed… Read More